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“Some might say that there is nothing reasonable about this marriage.”
“They would be mistaken,” she insisted.
“Go ahead, wife.” Alisdair leaned back. “Make yer demand. I willnae have ye say I didnae listen to yer… reasonable suggestions.”
Isla glared at his open sarcasm but straightened her back to his open challenge.
“Ye said it yerself, husband,” she said pointedly. “Our marriage is a tactic, and that makes us allies. And yet we still daenae trust each other.”
Alisdair’s smirk dropped.
“Without trust we will fail, and me uncle will dance on our ruins.”
“Very dramatic, but go ahead.”
“We will spend more time together.”
Alisdair eyed her skeptically.
“There.” She pointed at his face. “Mistrust.”
“Can ye blame me?”
“Plenty,” she fired back, and a hint of mischief flickered in his eyes. “But I daenae blame ye. We daenae ken each other. We only ken of the name and the hate. That isnae all we are.”
“Perhaps it is the only thing we need to ken.”
“We cannae defeat me uncle like this.”
“What are ye proposin’?”
Isla considered. “We will spend more time together. Nothin’ intimate. We can discuss clan matters, share some burdens together, as long as we get to ken each other so we can work better together.”
Alisdair studied her with a dark look in his eyes. “I can make time for this in the week.”
“Ye will make time for this every day,” she emphasized. “Even if it is just dinner.”
His lips curled into a teasing smirk. “Ye are stubborn.”
“Ye keep confusing yer words, Alisdair,” she shot back. “I am simply determined.”
“Very well, wife. I will make time every day.”
“Thank ye, me Laird,” she said.
“Daenae thank me yet. Ye may regret this.”
“I already do,” she muttered.
He scoffed and left the room.
Isla let out a long breath, her heart pounding in her chest. He was right; she was going to regret this.
CHAPTER TEN
MAKING THE ROUNDS
The next few days blurred together as Isla settled into her title and everything that came with it. She spent most of her time in her room, bent over household budgets, accounts, and bills.
